"For a second it looked like Gladys was goin' to freeze with horror;
but she just gives Valentina the once-over and indulges in a panicky
little giggle."

"Then she grips me around the neck and snuggles her head down on my
necktie--say, then I knew."




WILT THOU TORCHY


CHAPTER I

ON THE WAY WITH CECIL

It was a case of declarin' time out on the house. Uh-huh--a whole
afternoon. What's the use bein' a private sec. in good standin' unless
you can put one over on the time-clock now and then? Besides, I had a
social date; and, now Mr. Robert is back on the job so steady and is
gettin' so domestic in his habits, somebody's got to represent the
Corrugated Trust at these function things.

The event was the openin' of the Pill Box; you know, one of these dinky
little theaters where they do the capsule drama at two dollars a seat.
Not that I've been givin' my theatrical taste the highbrow treatment.
I'm still strong for the smokeless war play where the coisèd spy gets
his'n good and hard.